Once again: past
by aria28
Summary: 040207 May be continued, but not before later this year. The events after Apocalypse is defeated, or is he? A continuation from Ascension pt 2. Focus is on Rogue. Numerous pairings. Chapter 7: new forces are at work....
1. Disclaimer&Prologue

**First things first....**

Disclaimer:

The following story is inspired by the Xmen universe, and more specifically by the Xmen : Evolution series, although references and characters from either the comics and the movies will appear along the pages. I own nothing here, except parts of the plot and original characters. The goal of the following pages is not to make money, but to entertain the readers and be entertained by writing it.

Author's notes, please read first:

-This is the first part of what is (hopefully) to become a triology (LOTR syndrome I guess).

-The events take place after the end of season 4. 

-Rating will be PG-13 for this part (some swearing and violence), but expect things to heat up a lot for the next parts.

-Constructive criticism is most welcome, especially since this is not beta-read, and english is not my native language.

And as always, please R&R, thanks….

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**Prologue**

_Light._

It was the first thought that popped into her mind. _I may be dead. Isn't that how it's supposed to be, a bright light welcoming you?_

But then she realized the light wasn't warm and welcoming, but cold, with flashes of white and metal, and she could feel the coolness of the hard surface on which she lay.  And in the distance, the beating of a heart echoing her own.

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to relax, but what she had briefly percieved of her environment triggered memories she knew weren't her own. It didn't make them less frightening.

She felt the icy hand of terror trying to reach for her, at the seering pain of flesh cut open, _her flesh_, dark forms hooded in black looming upon her, and cold water starting to swallow her, and she tried to cry, but no sound was heard, except for a slow and regular beating in the distance, and she tried to fight, but her muscles just refused to cooperate, and the pain was becoming now almost unbearable.  

Suddenly, she was completely immersed in water. She tried to hold her breath, but the panic adding to exhaustion, it wasn't long before the worst happened: her lungs starting to fill with water_. Oh fuck! I hate drowning the most!_ She knew she'd make it: she always made it, of that they had made sure. But the knowledge helped very little in that situation. Pain winning over, she started to drift into the black recesses of oblivion.

When she came back to her senses, she found herself standing in a place she recognized: she was in the park surrounding the mansion. The white rays of sun were dancing in the leaves of the sycamore tree she was standing under, the effect it created reminding her of the light through the windows of the little chapel she went to when a friend of the the woman she thought of then as a mother died. _It was long ago_. Long ago, when her life was still one of a normal little girl, deprived of touch because of a rare skin disease, but still, it felt the most normal she'd ever felt.

The wind bended the high grass before her. She looked around, and noticed that even though it was a bright day, nobody was there. She tried to focus, but when she should have heard cries and giggles of students in the distance, she met only silence. Silence and the regular beating of a heart she thought was her own. 

A human form lay in the grass, some twenty yards in front of her. From the distance, it seemed peacefully asleep. She knew that form, and a smile slowly formed on her lips. She walked, or rather run, closing the distance as quickly as possible until she was only a few feet away, rejoycing of finaly being reunited with someone she knew and cared for so much, after the ordeal they've all been through. 

Her feet came to a halt. Time stopped, the wind in the grass the only thing that could be heard, along with her now raging breath and heratic heartbeat. The form in front of her still wasn't moving. Looking more closely, she noticed the shadow of a smile, giving the face a rarely seen appearance of calm and peacefullness. 

It then registered with her that the form wasn't moving _at all._Her brain was trying to tell her something, but she tried to fight the dread that was starting to sink in. Until it started. Cuts opened themselves, covering his face, and blood was now creating blurry spots on the once immaculate shirt

She called his name, a plea for him to wake up, while trying to calm down the now uncontrollable fear, but no sound came out. She tried again, to no avail. She then let out a silent scream of terror, and sunk at his side, on her knees. After all, drowning and flesh cut open didn't seem that bad now, compared with the burden in her chest.

She couldn't take it, the idea she could have killed. She knew this wasn't real, this _couldn't _be real, but they had come so near to it, both of them, that doubt started to gnaw at her. She had to do something. She had to make sure that this was just it, that this was just a dream. She thus did the only thing she could think of: she closed her eyes and willed the darkness to engulf her and bring her back to reality.

But instead, images started to flow into her mind, and she fought not to be submerged by the wave. She saw the faces of those she knew, all the events that led her to lie there –that led them both to lie there- him lying near her, still, his regular heartbeat the only assurances of his survival. 

It couldn't be enough though. _I need to see him, I need to know we didn't kill him._ So she prised her eyes open, truly open this time, and took in her situation.

She was in the medlab, back at Westchester, as she's always remembered it. She was alone, or rather, as she corrected herself, she was the only conscious being in the room. Which reminded her that she hadn't _seen_ him alife yet, images of her latest dream coming uninvited to the front of her mind.

It seemed to her that it took hours before she could make it to a sitting position. After a few minutes, she peeled off the patches that linked her to the various machines surrounding her. She then slowly and clumsily moved her limbs until she stood, and rested her back against the wall for a while. 

She turned her head to the right, where he rested. She kept her look on his form and set the forward movement of her legs, trying to close the short gap between their two beds. When she finally arrived to her destination, she sank to his side, and carefully inspected him. He had that unusual content look on his face, but that didn't surprise her, his relief at her survival the most powerfull feeling she pulled from him when he touched her.

The thought of this last event brought back contradicting emotions. Relief at still being breathing, at having made it fine, despite the gravity of the wound he inflicted on her. Fright at the realization that she could indeed kill him with a simple touch, as he kept his bare skin in contact with hers even when his life force started to decisively leave his body, and his weight became heavier on her. And something warm she couldn't define at the thought that someone was willing to give up his life for hers. _Literally_.

Her recent efforts having tired her beyond reason, she lied her head on his chest, so that she could hear the reassuring beat of his heart, and did the only thing the latest of her strength allowded her. She remembered. 


	2. Chapter 1

**Short notice**

-The prologue has just been reloaded with less spelling errors

-My apologize to those who whished to post a review but couldn't. I didn't realize that FF.net automatically blocked reviews from anonymous readers. I've adjusted the set up and everything should be in working order now. 

-Sarah-Crysala: many thanks for pointing this to me, and many thanks also for your very encouraging review! You made my day! 

And if you wanna know who HE is, you better stay tuned, 'cause you're not gonna know for sure till the end of this part, even though there will be a few hints along the way.

-Also thanks to Hutchy, my first ever reviewer!

Now on to the story!

For Kitty Pride, life was good. Even if at one point there, she had been worried.

Standing in the park near the baseball ground, not far away from where the young recruits where training under Beast's patient care, she took in her surroundings. The sun was shining, a light wind bringing just enough fresh air for the day to be a comfortable warm. Except for the cries coming from the playing students, it was a peacefull and quiet day. Which she enjoyed all the most after their little fight to save a world that seemed to have all but forgotten them, at least for a while. Was it a good or a bad thing she couldn't decide.

It had been tough, especially for the Professor and Storm, she could tell. The day after they came back, the Professor gathered them all to talk about what happened during the previous days, but the general discomfort was evident. 

For the first time she could remember, she saw him not as the protective figure, but as a man, a tired one to boot. He had lines of worry on his forehead he never had before. Lately, he would sometimes sit behind his mahagony desk, his hands folded in his lap, his stare somewhere in the the distance.

It was pretty much the same for Storm, but as she used to be emotionally more distant, it didn't show as much. But as her tenderness for her young charges had always been there to be seen for the one who was looking for it, so were her doubts, and Kitty could tell that battle simulations where she had to face some of them was pretty awkward, bringing back dark memories.

Of all the students, Scott and Jean seemed the most affected by the whole thing. She could only imagine that having to fight against the very person that had saved and raised you with the patience of a father couldn't have been easy on Scott. And Jean, being the Professor's first student, certainly felt the same. Kitty had no doubt this would be overcome someday, but the whole affair was just too fresh in everybody's mind. 

But some good showed up as well.

Take Rogue for instance. That was probably the most stunning case. After the Risty/Mystique thing, and after Apocalypse and Mesmero used her as a vessel, she had been withdrawn from the mansion's life. No, scratch that, she had been withdrawn from _life_, period. School and missions pretty much had summarised her last six months. 

Well, Kitty guessed, being used by your own foster mother, by a powerfull ancient mutant and finally kill, or so she thought, the above-mentioned mother really, really, sucked.

But then, in a matter of a few days, it had been as if none of this had ever happened. In fact, she seemed a lot stronger, both physically and mentally a lot more confident. It had probably something to do with discovering that she hadn't actually killed Mystique and with saving the day against Apocalypse. Yet somehow, Kitty mused, it probably had even more to do with the men in her life.

Kurt hadn't seemed a lot better during the weeks following the destruction of  Mystique's statue than his foster sister. At the time, Kitty had thought that it simply was because he really loved his mother that much. That had proven to be only half-true. He certainly loved her, but his (for him) unusually cold behaviour aroud Rogue came most assurededly from the conflict between what he felt he _had_ to feel towards his mother, and the understanding of the reasons that drove Rogue's fatal gesture. In the end, the second won over, and Kitty could only be grateful for the both of them.

But Kurt's rejection would certainly have proven impossible to cope with to Rogue if Logan hadn't been there. Funny, Logan was probably the most withdrawn person from the life at the mansion generally speaking. In fact, she knew very little of him, despite the glimpse of a not-so-bright past she saw when she has stood in too close quarters with adamantium claws a couple of years ago. 

But somehow, since Rogue's powers surge, he seemed to have appointed himself her guardian, a discreet but efficient one. He always knew where she was at all times, and had made sure to let her plenty of space while making her aware he was always out there if she needed him. She wondered what Rogue made of all this, and reminded herslef to corner her in a "girltalk" about it later.

But another question was even more urgent: what would she do of Remy. Because it was obvious to anyone with at least one eye in working order that he had it bad for her, even though it was difficult to decipher the implications of that statement, as it was with every professional seducer. Was it just superficial feelings that would fade when a new pretty face would show, or did he really love her? And, not to forget, what did Rogue feel for him? 

Well, they all may find out the answer soon, since Remy has been granted a place at the mansion. Speaking of which….

At that point, Kitty's train of thoughts started to drift to the most pleasant of her actual preoccupations in the midst of that fine springbreak's afternoon. 

Of all, she considered herself the luckiest. No matter how bad the latest weeks had been, she had earned two new friends. First was Dani, Danielle Moonstar. She couldn't explain why, she just loved that girl, had felt a great bond with her from the start. She was quiet, a little bit shy, but really a good soul once you learned to know her. She seemed to go along very well with Doctor McCoy, and to share his passion for deep, philosophical converstions, and more surprisedly with Logan as well, as she seemed to feel best outside the mansion, somewhere in the woods. Sometimes she went alone, but she had included Kitty more and more, and that really rejoyced her. 

And then there was Piotr. She realized she must be blushing, judging on the heat of her cheeks. Which was ridiculous. Piotr had been, along with Remy, the latest addition to the Xmen. She had barely seen him since he joined them. She knew he had left several times with Logan, but had no idea where and why. More than anything, he was a mystery, an enigma. But a _nice_ enigma, the kind you really, really, wanted to understand. She had really enjoyed working with him, and she had to admit having him around in times of crisis was a very good thing. Since it was during those moments that she had time to study him a little, she had found his capacity at staying calm under whatever circonstancies really amazing. 

And he had been so cute when he had helped her that last time…..

_Stop thinking like this, you don't even know how much older he really is…._

And then there was Lance. 

The color left her face, and she started to frown.

At times he acted as if he profoundly despised her, yet sometimes, what his eyes told her was something else entirelly. If that wasn't just the reflection of her own wishes. Another enigma in her life, she thought, with a humorless laugh. But the she started to wonder: what if….

The quiet sound of two footsteps approaching her put a halt on her train of thoughts. Glancing on her right, she saw Logan and Rogue walking silently side by side. She didn't know he had come back.

Giving their attire, they had probably trained together. That was another novelty: Rogue newfound strength. Nobody could explain it, but both Doctor McCoy and the Professor supposed that she had retained a little bit of everybody she had absorbed, and that additioned had led to an improved Rogue. The Professor and Logan had agreed on a special training for her, both battle training and meditation, to help her adjust.

They stopped and sat by a nearby tree, away from the commotion created by the softball game still playing. They didn't seem to have seen her. She would have to make only a few steps to be within earreach, and the thought seemed suddenly very tempting. Maybe after that, she would have one less question to ask her teammate. But on the other hand, she didn't want to spy on a friend.

She was still debating with herself what to do, when a new perspective came to cast an entire different light on things at hand.

If Logan came back, then Piotr must me here as well.

She got up, and walked towards the mansion.

____________________________________________________

Rogue was distractedly watching the softball game that seemed to have turned into an "all-against-Bobby" game. She knew Logan hadn't proposed to have a walk and then to sit down there under the chestnut tree for polite small talk. 

Simply because the Wolverine didn't make polite small talk. 

But she could tell he wanted them to talk about something, and she had a pretty good idea what this was all about. Thinking about it, one corner of her mouth started to lift up. For several reasons.

"Somebody help meeeeeeeeeee"

She lifted her head and looked in front of her. Yep, it had definitely turned into an "all-against-Bobby", the infamous favorite ballgame of all the students. _Well, maybe with one exception though_. It was now a full grin that graced her lips

"Did you not forget to tell me something?"

"Hmmmm?"Give it to Logan to always catch her off guard. And to always chose the most direct approach possible.

"Yeah, if I remember well, you were supposed to give me a few explanations after your little trip south?"

She turned her gaze on him. Her grin was still there full force, but the expression on her face hold something gentle, almost tender, that it hadn't a moment before. He had asked it casually, but she could tell he was more than itching to know why she hadn't let him gut Remy but good. Although the thought of what could have happened hadn't she been there to stop him was more than a little bit dicomforting, she couldn't hold it against him too much either. He had been worried for her, maybe even a little scared.

And that was another thing the Wolverine didn't do. He didn't become afraid of or _for_ anything or anyone. Yet most students knew better that believe that last one, at least among the oldest of them.

"Do you want the long version or the short one?"

Her tone was that of someone who had had time to think things over and come to a sense of closure with the events, which starteled him a little, and it showed in his expression before he could slip back behind his casual emotionless mask. 

He believed she'd rather shove it in a corner of her mind and forget about the whole thing, given that the day had seen her getting kidnapped, her trust abused by someone she's always felt something for –that had not been lost on Logan at the time, and he still didn't get how it could seemingly have been lost on almost everybody else for so long- and him almost getting murderous on the Cajun.

"What does the short one says?"

"I didn't want you to hurt him, because I owned him so much."

Rogue couldn't stop the teasing gleam in her eyes when she looked at Logan after waiting for his reaction -and receiving none. She would have laughed if she wasn't so damn serious: the puzzled look on Logan, with his trademark arched eyebrow was priceless. She biefly wondered if she sould tell him that he had let his precious control slip twice in less than a minute 

"Maybe after all, the long one wouldn't hurt."

"Hmmmm, you know, when he kidnapped me, I didn't know where my place was anymore. I didn't know what to do with myself, if there was anything I could be worth."

He nodded. She knew he knew she was aware it had been pretty easy for him to read her during that time. He could because at one point he had felt exactly the same. Her whole expression went softer again.

"Between his explanations and what I pulled from him, it made me realized that even though what he did was wrong, he did it for a good cause, and that he wouldn't have done it, had he been given another choice. You see, he's part of the Acolytes, and, yeah, they're a team, but only as long as they were coaxed by Magneto to work together. At the end of the day, they were on their own, and there was no way for Remy to ask any of his "brothers in arms" for help. Whereas me….."

Her voice trailed off, and she lowered her eyes, almost out of shame. But when she spoke again, it hold even more confidence and had a force it hadn't before."I was part of a team, that also happened to be my family and my circle of friends. I had this incredible chance to belong with people who give a shit even after office time. Something Remy had been looking for his entire life and never came across until now. And I almost lost it by my own fault, by sheer stupidity" 

She was holding his gaze now. Her voice was lower. The fire had left her, and was replaced by a warm and gentle smile that reached her eyes   "Hadn't it been for him and his kidnapping, I wouldn't have understood  that. I wouldn't have understood that you all would be there for me." Her expression became even softer when she added: "that _you_ would be there for me…."

_Whampf_

"….along with my charming little brother here who's never been teached the meaning of the word timing" she added with a half-mad, half-amused expression, turning toward the intruder

"Did you call me _charming little brother_, Schwester?" asked Kurt with an impish grin.

"Yeah, I just did, but you better enjoy it why it last, 'cause I can already tell you, it won't last long."replied Rogue, her hands now on her hips

"What are you doing here anyway, the Elf?"

"I came looking for Rogue." he turned to the now standing girl. "It's Kitty and Jean who sent me for you. The new students are here. Come on! Let's go and meet them." 

Kurt's enthusiasm was contagious. Rogue couldn't help herself and smirked. She took his hand, and, after a last look over her shoulder and a nod at Logan, they disappeared from the park.

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Somewhere else

"Mesmero failed, and now Apocalypse is locked again!"

"Everything's ruined. There's nothing left we can do!"

"Fools, be silent! We will carry on as planned."

"How? Without Apocalypse, all is lost."

"Don't be stupid. They did not defeat him. I can feel him. He's very well alive. And he will great us with opened arms when we take him out of his prison"

"But, Lord, it would take a power behond anything known to man to accomplish this task."

"Do not worry about this. There are many forces in this world that have been lost on man long ago."

"What about those mutants?"

"Nothing but a nuisance."

"My Lord, they defeated Mesmero!?"

"Hmm, maybe you're right. Make sure you always keep an eye on them."

"Yes, my Lord"

"Especially on the girl with the white strikes. No matter what, she shouldn't be harmed too much, not beyond repair. At least not before we understand her power and her interaction with Apocalypse better."

"Yes, my Lord"

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Ok, this was a rough version of my new chapter, as I will be likely to change a few things before I load chapter 2. In the meanwhile, feedback would be very, very appreciated. You can also contact me at jpsoccerfan@yahoo.co.uk.

And, MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	3. short notice

Wow, I didn't realise it had been almost one month!!!!!!!!

Hope you all had a great Christmas and a happy New Year. 

Yes, I'm still alive, and hopefully, the next chapter will be posted here either today or tomorrow….

Mayirella, I love working with you! Keep in touch chica!

Emumoon, I don't want to explain too much about the Apocalypse thing so far, but I'm glad to have you curious enough to ask! Let's just say that there is a connection, that Rogue is aware of it to some extent as we'll see later, but no one, I say NO ONE presented so far knows how it works and what's its nature exactly. What this person wants is her to be watched before they know if this could have an impact on their own little schems.

And about the Rogue pairing thing: you'll quickly see where I'm heading with this first part (in fact this chapter should have big hints about that very subject)…..for now. Always keep in mind that as in real life, people may not love someone "forevereverafter", but walk for some time together and then part. Also I wanted to explore more the different kinds of love (commeradship, bortherly, fatherly, friendship, lover….) and the feelings that may be associated with love. But that will develop more during part 2 and 3.

I guess the bottom line would be: never take things for granted….

Now on to the fic!


	4. Chapter 2

Hmm, can't believe it took me that long to add a new chapter!

Ok, there is no more hint on Rogue's pairing so far, sorry. The thing is, I had this chapter in my head for a long while, and I knew exactly what it would be like….except that the first part, that is the arrival of this new student at the mansion, ended up being much longer than I anticipated, and it felt only right to stop here. At least the next chapter is almost ready now….

Oh yeah, a couple more things: I was given the idea to add this very mutant to the story and to have her become friend with Rogue by reading Missmishka's stories. Go read her fics if you haven't so far (although those allergic to anything not ROMY should beware). That's some of the best based on the Evo universe I've come across so far!

The hints about her past though come straight from the comics. Still, the consequences will be different; those who read the Uncanny X-Men surely know what I'm talking about 

Now on to the fic!

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They had ported back inside, on the balcony of the first floor which opened on the main entrance hall. The first thing that immediately caught both their eye and their ear was the commotion below them, as most students –some hadn't even changed from their previous outdoor session –excitedly surrounded who Kurt and Rogue both immediately pegged as their newest pier, although only the top of the head was visible from there point of view. Well, more precisely, only purple hair was visible from their point of view. 

Following Kurt, Rogue run down the stairs and threw herself in the crowd, trying to make her way to the center of everybody's attention. 

The first thing she knew is that it was a she, and almost as quickly, thanks to the thick accent permeating her melodious voice, that she was british.

"Nice to meet you."

It hadn't been that way when the previous kids arrived at the mansion during springbreak. Well, most of them weren't exactly new. Jubilee and Rahne had returned, thanks to the somewhat more peaceful climate surrounding the mutant issue. But the excitement increased tenfold  when the students learned from Jean and Scott that the part of the mansion that was still under construction was indeed designed to welcome more students, as the Professor was well counting on this somewhat peaceful political atmosphere regarding mutants' issues to convince more parents to allow their children to join the institue. 

The girl over there was the first of these new kids to arrive, thus the cheerings that really started to get on Rogue's nerves. Gawd, kids! That's something she started to feel more and more; not exactly estranged, but like she didn't belong with the other kids, at least on some occasions. 

Of course, Scott and Jean sure weren't kids anymore, but her nursing of the crush she had for Scott and her relationship-or lack of relationship- with Jean prevented her from becoming closer friends with them. And sometimes, she felt as if even they were too young, too careless, for her. Of all the students, only Kitty's, for some Gawd-knows-why reason, and Kurt's presence never had her feeling somewhat awkward. 

Hell, she even felt awkward in front of Remy, although he hardly could be counted as a student. No, there must be another reason why….

"And you must be Rogue, right?"

_______________________________________

She felt herself ready to burst. First that damn little "accident" that had left her blind for many months and had delayed her coming there, until she miraculously heard of that surgeon who had found a way of implementing bionic eyes. Then her brother, who suddenly backpedaled from it all and finally let her come here on her own, giving her the lame excuse of an assignment that he couldn't refuse, and the vague promise of his coming _as soon_ _as possible_. Knowing what his missions usually were, he couldn't have been more evasive. Arriving in the US, she had been escorted from New York by this girl, Jean. And now this, all those sounds ringing in her ears, all that commotion. 

Not that Jean hadn't been friendly, not that she wasn't used to to attract peoples' attention. She had been a model after all, and at such a young age. But something about that Jean-girl was off. Or maybe it was her. She was in such a state, with everything that had happened lately, she thought maybe she would have a break down. And there was NO WAY she was going to stand in the middle of all those people with a mascara-smeared face. She was a girl and she had her pride, after all.

So instead she started to focus, trying to remember the pictures Jean had showed to her on their way to the Mansion, and to attach to them the names that Jean was currently giving her. Bobby, Rahne, Scott, Kitty, Sam…she then distinguished two more figures trying to make there way through it all. One she remembered the name easily by herself: Kurt. But she remained struck by the other, and for a second, forgot to fish for her name in her memory. The girl must have been about her age, but that wasn't what caught her attention, and made her immediately like her. 

It was the emotions surfacing, the sensation that she could feel from where she stand, that, to some extent, mirrored her own. Among them, the sensation of not belonging here. And the strong, calm determination that lay under it all. A determination that she felt was as strong as her own. At least. _I have just this feeling you and I are gonna be friends_, Elisabeth thought, smiling to herself.

Forgetting all of Jean Grey still at her side, and marching towards the crowd, she extended her hand: 

"And you must be Rogue, right?"

For a split-second, the girl seemed to tense, as if on her guard. But her demeanor changed quickly as she relaxed, and she took the hand that was offered to her, the green eyes never leaving hers.

"Yeah. And you must be Elisabeth." She released her hand, gave her a once-over and grinned. "Tell me, you wouldn't like to skip the rest of the presentations for now and head to your room, by any chance?"  A small growling was then heard, and Elisabeth was sure Rogue knew where that was coming from as the grin grew wider and she added "Don't worry, we will pick up with this whole introduction thing later…like, just after supper."

Elisabeth felt herself grin in turn: 

"Sounds good to me! And…hey, you can call me Betsy"

She turned to get one of her suitcase, Rogue came to take the other one and they made their way through the remaining students up to the students dorm.

_Now I'm sure we're gonna be friends._

_____________________________________

"I cannot believe it, we can see them! We can see them all! It is as if we were there yourselves."

"Did I not tell you I had everything under control?"

"Y-Yes, but…."

"And that things would go on as planned? And this is how it will remain. There is no cause for panic."

"Does that mean that we will send _him_ to them as well?"

"Yes"

"But, my Lord, isn't your device already in place not enough? I-I mean, he is only human. A weak, versatile, human. Is there no risk for him to become a liability."

"This _liability,_ as you call him, may well be our surest asset in case some of those mutants become to high a risk to act without leading them to us. I entrust you to make sure he remains properly _informed_ all the time. Make him ready: he should depart in a few days."

"Yes, my Lord, things will be done as you bid."


	5. chapter 3

Hi everyone!

I wanted to thanks the people who took the time to review and/or email me.

roguewannabe: I won't repeat what I told you in my email, but I guess you might enjoy this installement quite a bit….

Duo/Folken/TK: Hey, nice nickname, where does that come from? 

Hmmm, it's funny, actually, everybody seems a lot more concerned about the relation between Rogue and Apocalypse than I am. There IS a relation alright, but they are only two parts in the greater scheme of things…. Don't worry, you'll understand when we come to the big showdown in that part.

And yeah, I know I haven't been nice to Jean, who's been dissmissed as if she hadn't been there, but there is a reason, and it's NOT gratuitous bashing!

Okay, enough rambling, now on to the fic (and the first real action)!

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The evening went on without any remarkable event, a rarity in a mansion full of teenage mutants.

Jean passed through the hall of the dorms, heading for her room, _alone_. Some days, when her spirits would be high, she would view it as a great thing. To have her own room, the freedom to do there what she wanted at whatever time without having to worry about a roomate. Granted, most of the others, except for Scott who had the same privilege, had envied her at one point or another, but during these days, she was confident enough to know that this feeling was nothing more than a flying thing that would never come as far as standing between their comradship.

But at times like this, when she stood outside the door of Kitty and Rogue's room, attracted there by the high-pitched sound of Kitty's laughter and the half-mocking, half-amused tone of Rogue, signals of one more light-hearted argument between the two girls, she couldn't help but regret what she'd never had. 

Especially these days, when the nightmares once again came plaguing her more frequently, when she would wake up with a start, her throat dry, her mouth open in a silent scream, images that she knew she would never forget swirling in her head, and no one, no one to turn to, no one to give her comfort. She had quickly dismissed the idea of talking to the Professor or to Scott about it, she didn't want to lay more worry on either man. She hoped, although she instinctly knew this was a fool's hope, that they would simply go away. That it wouldn't be like last time. That it wouldn't herald her lost of control over her powers.

She shook herself out it enough to hear someone approaching. A quick scan of her mind told her that it was Elizabeth. Hoping that she hadn't been broadcasting enough to let the other telepath know what she was thinking, she quickly retreated to her room.

___________________________________________

"Are you out of your mind?"

Rogue was standing in the middle of the otherwise deserted garage, her hands on her hips, an obvious disbelieving expression etched on her features.

Elizabeth just kept grinning. "Come on luv, girls deserve a little fun once in a while. Besides, we're both 18, we can both legaly do whatever we want to do." Her grin faded when she saw Rogue wasn't brightening any. She quickly added:  "Hey, don't worry, there won't be any catch this time, it will be just you and me, as in "me, Betsy, model and telepath extrordinaire", and not "me, Betsy, evil shapeshifter", ok?"

Rogue took a deep breath. She had felt confident enough to tell her most of the past events within a couple of days. It's not as if Betsy couldn't have learned it otherwise, most of the students had been there anyway, and they were still talking about it often enough, but she had had this urge to have her _understand_ what had happened, not just hear about it through some second-hand memories. She wanted to believe that, this time, she had been right in trusting her.

"I wasn't even remotely thinking about that. But you don't seem to get the point. You're not living alone anymore. You're in a mansion full of mutants, with the most powerfull telepath and the most stubbornly nonindulgent teacher in the world."

"I'm not too worried about the Professor's reaction."

"Me neither. But if Logan discovers that we went clubbing the night before school, we'll be in for an epic lecture. And an epic detention. And when I say _if_, I mean _when_, 'cause there's no way in hell he's not gonna know."

"Why would he know? It's not as if we were gonna tell him, right? "

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Betsy, it's _Logan_ we're talking about. Just wait to go through his classes for a couple of weeks, and you'll understand."

"Please, we'll be out a couple of hours….ok, maybe three, top. We take your motocycle, we can be back before one. Nobody will have to know we ever left. We'll be there if he decides to do his round in the middle of the night. Please, pretty please?"

Rogue let out a sigh. It wasn't as if she didn't want out herself, or as if she was a big sticker to rules either. "Alright, alright. But we _are_ back before one, and we'll have to be extra-careful not to wake anyone, so no drinking either."

Elizabeth said with a shocked expression: "You're not serious, luv? How can you ever think about going out without pouring yourself a few drinks? But-but that's the whole point of going out!"

"It's my conditions, or you're going on your own….and on foot."

The british girl harrumphed: "Ok, you won. Before one, and no drink. Happy?"

Rogue went to retrieve two helmets and threw one at her friend, before heading for her motocycle, Betsy in tow.

___________________________________________________

The soft wind continued to blow in the new-born leaves, for a long while the only sound in the still of another fresh night in Westchester.

Remy stood on the wall, nearby the entrance of the mansion. That mansion, that was at the same time a blessing and a curse. Now there was no way he could steal the delicious collection of portraits he's seen in the magnificent property down the road, Professor Xavier would know and, since he couldn't count as a student anymore, would probably be kicked out. 

And there were a lot of reasons why he wouldn't like that. With the Acolytes, he had felt more isolated than during all the time he had wandered on his own after leaving the Guild. It's not that he exactly blent into the mansion's life: too old to be a student, but not close to any of the adult, and especially not to Logan, who kept growling at him every time he'd see him, and although he had not be given any lesson in that department, he was quite positive those weren't welcoming growls at all. But there was at least companionship, the feeling that as a part of the team, the others would look out for him out of their own free will, and not because they had been forced into it. 

He should know the difference: after all, Magneto hadn't recruited his team lightly. He had made sure he had a good way to make pressure when they weren't willing to submit to one or another order. He didn't even want to think about what Magneto had told him once, to make sure he would cooperate. But he also knew the weight had been far heavier on Colossus. He understood why Magneto did it, he understood the need that drove him to use such ways with people, but still: putting someone's sister and mother at stake? 

He was suddenly distracted from his musing by a not-so-subtle giggle. He looked down: as they passed under the lights that borded the narrow path that led to the mansion, he recognized Elizabetth and Rogue. Betsy, as they had all come to name her, had visibly had quite her share of alcohol for the rest of the month _at least_ and Rogue, walking by her motocycle, didn't look too happy about it. Nope, she didn't look too happy at all. He could hear her trying to hush her friend, to no avail. 

Suddenly, she totally stopped, as still as a statue, but obviously with all her senses in alert. He stood there, not willing to move either, content to just drink in the sight. Betsy was a beautiful woman, even when she looked downright drunk. But there was something about Rogue, although he couldn't place his finger on what. She wasn't as strickingly beautiful as the girl beside her, at least not with her constant white mask ans the clothes she kept wearing. But he would bet that take all that away and let her be more aware of her feminity, and no man in his right mind would resist her. Of that he was sure. And till now, he's never been proven wrong in the whole seduction department. Hey, he didn't have a reputation for nothing….

He wondered what had her in such a state. He hadn't moved at all from the wall so that couldn't be it. Slowly but with no hesitation, and without turning her head, she griped Betsy's wrist and guided it to the grip of the motocycle. Only then did she turned her head and muttered something to the other girl, gesturing to her to stay there. Somehow, she must have found the right tone or the right words to reach Betsy's fogged counsciousness, for her giggling subdued immediately. 

This is when he heard it, the soft noise in the leaves, very close to him. But this time, it couldn't be the wind. Rogue was in such a stance, as if she was ready to bolt any minute, or to attack whatever was responsible for the noise. When she was in battle mode, she exhulted a peculiar sort of feline grace, as well as power. She wasn't impressively built, but you could tell that power beat strongly inside. If he hadn't known any better, he'd say Logan had wanted to coin her into the perfect weapon. He silently thanked whatever god there might be that the man wasn't a telepath, or he would have gutted him for good just for thinking such a thing, Rogue nonwithstanding. He had watched enough training sessions to know that his only intent was to make her able to defend herself in whatever situation, and rebuild some kind of confidence she had lost over the previous events, but certainly not to turn her into a kind of ace-in-the-hole. In fact, Remy was sure that if Logan had been given his impulses free reign, he would have locked her away to make sure she wouldn't have to face any of this, ever.

"You, get down, show yourself!"

Damn, she had been so quick that he hadn't seen, or even heard, her coming. And now she was just a few feet away, looking in his direction. There was no way she could have recognized him, but she had pegged him right were he was with her stare. _Ok, maybe Logan **is** trying to turn her into a perfect weapon. Too bad he can't see that, he would be very proud of her; I know I would._And with that, he let himself fall from his pedestal to end up a couple of feet from her. She was reading herdelf to deal the first blow, when she suddenly recognized her opponent.

"God, Remy, what are you doing here?"

"Remy could ask you the same question, chere."

"Well, I wasn't the one doing a little spying here!" Now that he was close, he could study her face. She looked more than a little upset. _Allright, even with her make-up, she can be beautiful too_.

His silence seemed to infuriate her even further, and she was about to add something, when they both heared it at the same time, and both directed their eyes on the left. The soft noise of leaves in the nearby bush. They cautiously turned to face each other again. Understanding passed between them, and as one, they run towards the shadows.


	6. chapter 4

I'm happy, I'm so happy!

Thanks for all of you who took the time to review: I didn't think I would get so many without writing "Romy" in the summary, lol! You'll know why I tried to avoid that much, much later….but for now please enjoy!

_____________________________________________________________

Damn it, there were losing him. 

She could only vaguely make out the silhouette in the shadows, but she could tell it was a man, and a very agile one to boot. And he was slowly, but surely creating a greater distance between him and his pursuers. 

She kept her eyes focused in front of her, but her mind, if for a split-second, turned to the man at her side. What had he been doing there? Could he possibly have been following them, or Betsy, or…._her_. At times she had caught him watching her, in his unsettling way of his. 

Wait…did she say unsettling? What was wrong with her? She was the Rogue, and he had made a fool of her one too many times. Although she hadn't been lying to Logan, she really felt grateful in a way for opening her eyes to what she had. But she also had helped him out despite the fact that he had tricked her into it in the first place: they were even. Nothing left bonded them, right? Right?

Suddenly, the sound of an engine roaring derailed her: their prey had disappeared just around the corner. She tried to make her steps longer, to move her legs faster: he was so near, so so near, and now they were almost at the corner and….

"Look out!"

She felt Remy catch her wrist to stop her before pushing her none too gently against the wall, putting himself in front of her as to shield her, at the precise moment when the vehicule stormed out of the dark just before them, only to quickly vanish into the distance.

Both watched it, as if engulfed by the night, breathing heavily. They slowly turned towards each other, emerald meeting red flame. She kept looking into the depth of his eyes for a while, transfixed by what she believed she could see there, forgetting her previous train of thoughts. 

But their surroundings and their situation slowly asserted itself anew, and she became conscious of exactly how close to her he was, almost pressing her into the wall at her back, and she gently but firmly pushed him from her with her two hands on his chest. That snapped him out of his own reflections and he took a couple of steps back.

Now much more in control, Rogue begun to look around, but with this moonless night and the dim light from the occasional lamppost boarding the road, she realised that searching for clues about their mysterious follower would be a hopeless task, and most likely all traces would be gone before tomorrow, if he had left any. She let out a frustrated sight, then felt Remy's hand gently pulling at her arm, turning her around. 

She was contempling the sparkle of mischief in his eyes when she heard him say: "Remy think we should go to the mansion to get help for searching."

Oh no, not that! She had almost forgotten about the very reason why she was out in this hour in the first place. But he was right, they had to tell about this. Not that trying to hide it would do any good with a handful of telepaths in the house in the first place. Her shoulders slumping, she agreed: "Yeah, let's get Logan."

____________________________________________________

"Haven't I seen that symbole before?"

God, he had been looking everywhere for the two girls when he saw them emerged from the night with Remy. Logan hadn't say a thing when he had sent him looking for them all over the place, but the sight that had greated them had both relieved him and sent him on a rampage, he could tell, and he knew it had little to do with Elizabeth's inebriated state.

But a few muttered words with Rogue and he slipped again into his calm and collected demeanor, distilling orders to everyone present. He had been sent to teleport Elizabeth back to her room; he then went to wake up Kitty to finish help the nearly passed out girl to bed, to finally join the others already on their way outside. As they were walking, he talked with his sister to finally get an explanation. He inwardly smiled about her enthousiasm at her little escapade, but openly frowned when she started to give him an account of what happened on their way home. She was adamant there was no reason to worry, that this guy could have been there for a lot of reasons, but he wasn't buying it, and he could feel she had already started to considerate all the possible scenarios. 

He was so caught up in her story as she related this latest incident that he barely registered the fact that they had stopped when he spotted Logan from the corner of his eye giving a good sniff at the air and crouching, seemingly scrutinizing the floor in front of him. 

They then all started to look around, careful to not walk on any muddy trace of boot or any other clue the guy may have left behind. But it was only after a long while that finally Logan stood, holding what looked like a golden chain and a pendant, which looked like a Chinese character. He heard a muffled gasp, and turn to see that Rogue, standing before the hand extended before Logan that carried the jewellery, had indeed her hand in front of her open mouth, clearly puzzled and disturbed by what she saw. If it could had been possible to clearly discern with the little light and through the goth make-up, he would have sworn she had blanched at the sight. Remy was now approaching them, and standing at their side, he took his time inspecting the thing before finally speaking out:

"Haven't I seen that symbole before?"

Logan settled for a scowl, obviously not in a hurry to explain any of this. But it was obviously enough for Remy who let a low whistle. If Kurt wanted to understand what was going on, he had to ask for himself.

"Vat- Vat is this? And vhy are you all making such a face? Is that a bad thing?"

"That, Kurt" started Remy, "these are kanji, japanese writing characters. Together, they mean 'equilibrium', or 'balance'."

"Well," stammered the blue mutant, not sure he understood where this was going, "isn't that a good sign. I mean, "equilibrium", that's good, that's, you know, not threatening."

"The point is, the Elf," Logan intervened, "that this is not the kind of characters people wear as fashion statements. In fact, this is also the name of an old Japanese organisation, and this is their trademark."

"Organisation? You mean, like the yakuza or something?"

"No," this time, it was Rogue's turn, "they were nothing like the mafia. This organization started with Buddhist monks. Hundreds of years ago, during very troubled time, they swore to do whatever was in their power to make sure that the equilibrium of forces, in all aspects of life, was respected. At first, they pursued their goal in a non-violent way. And so they became very sought after in the whole country, rehestablishing peace wherever they went. Wars were avoided."

"But then, strange events happened, and their ways just weren't efficient anymore. So reluctantly, they had new people joining them. Warriors. But they where allowed only if they agreed with a very strict code of honor, and once they commited to this organization, they could not leave it ever. Very strict rules were edicted concerning about everything in their life. Those were made with the hope to discourage those who went there looking only for a little action, and did not truly believe in the cause."

"And did it work?"

"Oh yeah," added Logan with a wry smile, "in fact, those who indeed joined were so much into their belief that they became an unstoppable force. The events soon ended, but the organisation actually survived. The warriors became mercenaries, but they didn't forget their code either. They only accepted missions if they saw them fit for their whole "equilibrium" thing."

"Well, at least they're good guys, right?" 

"They do not distinguish good from evil, not in the way you mean. In fact they can work for both sides of the spectrum. Their only goal is that the equilibrium of forces is actually respected."

"I guess we just have to look out for any sword-carrying Japanese guy from now."

"That's the whole problem. With the opening of Japan, they actually attracted people from all over the world. There is no telling if the guy was Japanese, French, German or American."

With that, he started to walk towards the mansion, adding, as he passed through Kurt standing there deep in thought: "Don't worry too much about it: no matter what he was after, he won't put any threatening move on anyone or anything around here before letting us know." He stopped before the young man's puzzled expression just long enough to add: "It in their code." With that Logan turned his back to him and resumed his march, Rogue and Remy in tow. Kurt stood there a little while, pondering what he just heard, before running after them.

Just has they were about to part company as they arrived near the main stairs leading to their rooms, he caught Rogue's soft murmur to Logan: "But they don't care for mutants-humans, or whatever races' little dilemna. Nobody could have hired them against us, they wouldn't have agreed, would they?"

Rogue's pleading whisper, and the anguished look she exchanged with Logan then told him that they may have left some very important detail out of their explanation before. Like how strong or how many these guys actually were. 

No word was spoken, but he must had answered her nonetheless, for she shighed, but some of the tension in her shoulders seemed to melt away, and with a nod and a little smile, she headed for her room, Remy having long disapeared into his. Then Logan turned right and climbed another set of stairs leading to the adults' wing.

Kurt did the same, and after  his nightly routine, went to bed. Although he felt better at his sister's demeanor, some words that the older man had spoken before kept plaguing him before sleep put his mind at rest, wondering what lied behind the words. _They do not distinguish good from evil._


	7. chapter 5

Sorry everybody, I swear I was on my way for more, and I had sworn to myself not to make any more 1-month stretch between two chapters, but life kind of caught up with me, in the form of work overload and some quality time in hospital….

But here I am again, breathing and functioning reasonably ok. Besides, I'm starting to write another story with Mayirella, so hopefully that will help to keep myself focused.

As always, this is dedicated to the people who took time to read and review.

**SailorSun1:** In my universe, Rogue's mutation is one that can take many aspects, most of them, at this point, still remain to be discovered. SO don't expect them to discover about it soon, they just know what we all do about it. In fact, I dare add that it's not them who are going to figure it out completely. And don't ask who, cause I won't tell. I know, I'm evil….

**Note**: Although I dare say I know the Evolution and Movie verses very well, I cannot go that far when the comics are concerned, especially concerning what has happened in its early days and in the alternate universes. And I'm especially clueless when it comes to characters I used to find less interesting than most, among them Scott and Jean. Luckily, I happened to read a shortfic published on this very site about the Scott and Jean relationship that I liked, and went to this person's site to learn more: I'm still there to learn more about them, and eager to do so! Hopefully, this will show in the next chapters where Scott and Jean have a bigger part to play.

You have to go there, whether you like Jott or not, these fics are just too good: Minisinoo, you rock !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now on to the fic!

* * *

The Mansion woke up at its usual 6.30 AM on Monday morning. In various places alarm clocks rang, followed by growls, whines and a few muttered-or not so muttered- curses. Doors were opened and closed, showers were running, closets were opened, clothes unfolded, make-up applied, until footsteps all leading to the kitchen resonated and the flow of students spilled into the room.

Outside his door, only a few feet away from the main stairs, Logan unconsciously braced himself against the onslaught on his senses that was coming between the steps and the voices which never failed to submerge his sensible hearing. Not helping any, he had barely slept, his mind working over all the implications of what they had discovered the previous night.

Those fighters had been turned into legends that frightened little kids for a reason. Once their mind was set on a prey, they would hunt until they killed or were killed. And only the strongest were admitted, men mastering several arts of combat, who could survive under almost any conditions, and whose minds were made of steel; it was even reported that some had some knowledge of witchcraft, although that was a rumour, not a proven fact.

Still, they were dangerous enough as it were. There was little chance that, if they indeed were after someone in the mansion, that that person would survive the encounter. From a dark corner, he watched the kids pass through. First were Sam and Bobby, racing each other to the kitchen as a morning ritual. But the point must be a little lost when you live with a teleporter. Then babbling senseless were Jubilee, Tabitha, Jean and Kitty, followed by the rest of the guys. Despite what they've been through already, they looked as careless as any other group of teenagers he'd come across.

Logan shook his head. None of them was even near ready for a face-off with one of those lunatic samurais. He wasn't even sure he could teach them enough to survive such an encounter. Because "survive" was the word. He hadn't been kidding: "kill or be killed", that was their law, and you better abide to it if you wanted to have the smallest chance of winning. That was what would ultimately cost them their lives, no matter the sum of preparation: they weren't in the same state of mind, weren't ready to take someone's life to defend their own.

And his guts were telling him, despite his comforting parting words to Rogue a few hours before, that she had been right: that guy had been here to spy on someone. He was half-hoping that it had been on her. Despite the fact the other half was screaming at the thought, wanting to lock her someplace safe if needed, he had to admit she was probably the only one who could have a remote chance to still be alive after facing one of them.

She wasn't like the rest of the Xmen, her mutation, her life experience, everything had made her different on so many levels, more _like him_ in some regards. He knew it was a shame, because that meant she would never be as carefree as her team mates, yet at the same time, he found himself oddly…."pleased", for lack of a better word. Where that came from, he had no idea, and he decided, as he strolled down the stairs to join the bunch in the kitchen, to shove it away for now.

With many other thoughts of the same kind already there.

* * *

Kitty arrived, took some coffee, bread and jam she arranged on her tray, and sat down by Rogue, who had obviously been there for a while, judging by the emptied glass and the half-eaten bowl of cereals in front of her. She was reading the newspapers, not even slightly phased by the sudden noise around her, but she acknowledged the younger girl's presence with a clipped nod in her direction and a muttered "hi". She responded in kind before she started eating, and she was about midway through her breakfast when she heard Rogue's "Hi, Logan" although she hadn't taken her eyes off the paper the entire time.

Kitty turned to see him standing in the doorway, before passing by with a grunt that was his usual morning greetings before he had a good dose of coffee himself. She hadn't heard him arrived, and doubted that Rogue did either.

They did that more and more often, and she couldn't make up her mind if she found that wonderful or plain spooky, especially since he must have been the only resident she hadn't absorbed even once.

But the wonder won over, and she avoided getting to carried away in any of the animated conversations around her to keep an eye on the two of them.

He drank standing by the counter, away from all the agitation, mostly looking out the window bay. After a few minutes, Rogue folded the newspaper carefully before standing up, took the dirty glass and bowl and went by the sink to rinse them, a couple of feet away from the feral mutant. She had just turned her back on him when his low voice rang clear enough to hear for Kitty, above all the commotion around her.

"I hope you had nothing planned for tonight…."

She stopped right in the middle of her move to exit the kitchen.

"….or for the nights to come." A lop-sided grin made its way on his face, as she whirled around, disbelief and anger obviously at war.

"Excuse me!?"

"You better come back right after school, ya hear. You didn't seriously believe I would forget that you were out after curfew last night?"

Judging by her tightening fists, Kitty could tell Rogue was not ok with that plan. At all.

"What!? You mean that 'we' got followed by something plain creepy, 'we' got the fright of our life, 'we' stayed after to investigate with you, and 'I' get punished?"

The grin went bigger: "No, that wouldn't be fair." He posed long enough for Rogue's body to relax slightly, as he too went to the sink, breaking their gaze. _Wait for the final blow, girl…._

"Betsy will be grounded with you. For one month. You go to school, you come back here. It's as easy as that. You don't leave the grounds unless it's for educational reasons."

_I just knew it!_ Kitty couldn't help her own smile. He may pay more attention to Rogue, something that all the girls in the mansion resented to some degree. After all, if there was another womanizer in this place besides Gambit, that would be the Wolverine. But he was also stricter with her. Fair was fair.

He closed the cupboard after putting his mug back in place. Rogue was about to say something, but he beat her to it.

"Ok?"

"Al' right." She said, dejected. "It's not as if I had a choice, is it?"

"Damn right!"

Walking towards the door, he added "You promise, right?"

At that Rogue did a pretty good imitation of his eyebrow-of-disbelief . "Why do you need me to promise, it's not as if I elude you for too long, or lie?"

He had now disappeared from Kitty's view, Rogue close on his heels.

"I won't be able to make sure you respect my decision, for the simple reason that I…."

He was now too far away, and the rest was lost to her.

* * *

"I won't be able to make sure you respect my decision, for the simple reason that I won't be here to enforce it."

"You're leaving again?" Rogue run to catch up with him in the deserted hallway. She caught his biceps and they both stopped, facing each other. There was no anger left in her emerald eyes.

"I have to."

She released her grip on his arm. "You're leaving with Piotr right? That means you're finally on to something."

He wasn't quite looking at her. "Possibly."

She took a step back, as if to let the way open for him. "Wherever they are, I hope you'll find them soon."

This time, it wasn't a grin on Logan's face, but a genuine smile. He had never explained to her what exactly they were looking for with Piotr, as they were leaving on a regular basis. It wasn't because he didn't trust her; after all, she knew more about it than anybody else here, with the exception, of course, of the Professor. But he didn't want to lay more worries on her: she had already more than she should have been able to stand. And she had always listened carefully to what he had to said, without pushing for more.

"Thanks. So do I."

_For Piotr's sake.__ And for the sake of us all._

She watched him continuing to the lift that would take him to the underground levels, and just before he disappeared from her view behind the corner, she shouted "I promise".

A "Never doubted it darlin'!" echoed before she took up the stairs to her room to get her books.

* * *

Kitty caught up ten minutes later with Rogue just before she entered the garage to take Jean's car.

"Hey, wait for me!" She looked around, suddenly confused. "Betsy is, like, not coming with you?"

"She's got quite the hangover from last night. She won't make it today."

"Oh!"

"I'll tell you about it later."

"And why is it that Mr. Logan had to make you promise to stay on the grounds? Can't he, like, totally smell it on you if you try to lie?"

"It's because he's leaving."

"Again?"

Rogue smiled as it reminded her of her own reaction in the hall just a while before.

Kitty felt silent, as she thought about what this could imply….before starting to run in the opposite direction, back to the mansion.

"Kitty, what are you doing? We're going to be late?"

Slightly out of breath, but not slowing down, she replied "It's ok, I've just realised I forgot my biology book! Don't wait for me! I'll get a ride from someone else!"

Rogue looked at her, an uneasy feeling coiling at the pit of her stomach. She didn't know why, but something told her she should do something to stop her. But it was too late, as she had all but disappeared from her view.

She hoped she wouldn't regret it

* * *

Oh yeah, the "eyebrow-of-disbelief" is not mine, although I wish it were. However, I don't remember who wrote that first, so if it's yours, email-me to get your prize….


	8. chapter 6

Whew, thanks to xfan2003 and Mayirella, I'm back on tracks. Thanks again girls for your comments!

There is a lot of Jean in it, but I guess I was trying to work out my Jean's issues because she's destined to play an important role at some point, and I just didn't want to write a bitchy Jean. But since I know she's gonna come across that way no matter what, at least I'm trying to justify her behaviours towards some characters. I've read too many of Terri's fics, who has also Jean's issues she lets out unabashedly, and they tend to rub off on me.

Ok, I'll stop with the lame excuses ;-)

Now on to the fic!

PS: If the guy introduced here would look like someone real, he would probably look like Rick Yune (The Fast and Furious, Die Another Day).

* * *

Jean was heading back to her Jeep after her first day back at college. The sun was now very low on the horizon. A so-far calm day. No mutant emergency, no need to save the world. A perfect day. But a little voice in her mind kept telling her that the peace was about to be shattered very soon.

She used to trust those voices -her instinct, or sixth sense, or whatever you wanted to call it- when she was younger. She used to be much more following her impulses as well. But that was less and less the case. It wasn't compatible with whom she had to be. When her life started to make sense again after her powers were revealed, she had promised herself never to be helpless against the assault of foreign thoughts in her head which had almost driven her mad, until the Professor took her under his wing. The only way she could do that at first was by keeping control all the time, her power-surge two years ago a reminder that she still needed to work on it on a regular basis.

Sometimes though, like when she could hear Rogue and Kitty both arguing and laughing, or see Kurt and Bobby prepare a prank on someone, she wished she didn't have to. Actually she was tempted to let go, to become again the girl she used to be in her early teens, if only from time to time. Deep down, she knew she could let go some, her daily control over her powers now effortless. But nobody at the Mansion had known her that way, and she was afraid of what they may think. And she knew she couldn't even bear thinking at Scott's, the Professor or Ororo's disappointment in her.

So she was trapped in her always irreproachable demeanours, even if they weren't completely hers, even if they left out this part of her. A wild, untamed and darker part of her. But she had become so estranged from that part that she was now fearing it, consciously trying to repress any open expression of it, especially lately, as again it seemed to want out, if her nightmares were anything to go by. She knew it wasn't a sane situation, but she was afraid that, by letting go, the dam would break for good, and that was not an option. She had been 'Perfect Jean' for too long now.

She had good comrades, even if they weren't the close friends she felt were missing in her life. She had parents who still cared for her –a luxury reserved to a few mutants only- although she could feel that her mutation had broken something in her relation with them. She had the sweetest boyfriend one could dream of, but sometimes, she wished he wouldn't be as sweet. She loved every single of his attentions, and she loved that he was such a good guy, but no matter how strongly she suppressed it, this part of her sometimes had her look at other guys, searching for a glint of adventure, or even danger she couldn't find in Scott.

She was now arriving at the parking lot. Still deep in thoughts, she was fishing for the keys in her bag, not paying attention to anything around her. She emerged from behind a truck parked there to cross the exit way and didn't hear the BMW until it was too late, too late for her to use her powers.

She was only beginning to realise what was about to happen when she heard a "Look out!" and felt herself being yanked violently back by the arm, the move so quick that she whirled around and ended up face against the wide expanse of the muscled chest of the man who had just saved her. She felt his arm come around her shoulder protectively while the BMW went past them, its driver shooting obscenities at her

As the noise of the car was dying out in the distance, she started to shake a little, the reality of what could have happened sinking in. She slowly raised her head only to find herself looking at impossibly deep and intense pools of dark, and she felt herself immediately drown in them, before being shaken out of her stupor by a velvety voice:

"I'd say it was close."

She disengaged herself from his embrace a little, pulling back slightly to have a better look at him. Now she was contemplating his whole face. His hair was the same dark as his eyes, his skin tanned and his cheeks and jaw finely chiselled, but there was nothing feminine about it. If anything, he looked exotic, with his almond-shaped eyes.

Breaking out of the circle of his arms completely now, she sighed a small "Thank you", before taking a couple of steps back. They looked at each other for what seemed like eternity, before Jean repeated, with what she hoped was a steadier voice "Thank you. You've just saved my life." The brusque motion had caused one of her bangs to get loose, framing her face. She straightened it behind her ear, feeling every bit like a blushing schoolgirl in front of the object of her crush.

"You're welcome." the man said with a small smile, shrugging it off as if it was something he did every day. She could feel he was about to walk away, and she knew she couldn't let him, not like that, not without knowing anything of him."

"No….no really! You….you saved my life out there. I'd like, I'd like to know if there's something I could do, anything, I owe you that much." She hated it, she hated it she sounded so unsure. That was not like her, but the fright or the weight of his gaze, she didn't know, had broken through her usual aloof demeanour.

His smile got a little bit wider, and there was now a glint of amusement in his eyes, but not the pity or condescendence she expected at her less than controlled behaviour.

"Actually, there's something you could do for me." He bent to take his rucksack that he had discarded to rush to Jean's aid. "You're in Psychology too, right?"

She nodded "I do follow a few courses there, yes, why?"

"I've just arrived. I'm a foreign student, from Hong Kong. I won't begin to study before next semester, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to come a little bit earlier and get to know the campus, and, well, the 'American way of life' a little. I have also a few tests to pass to be admitted directly in second year. I was wondering if I could ask you….to help me out, give me a tour of sorts. It's pretty big in here" He said with a little embarrassed laugh, scratching the back of his head.

Suddenly he almost jumped as if remembering something, and extended his hand to her. "Oh! And my name is Ryu by the way!"

She took the offered hand and shook it "I'm Jean. Welcome to America, I guess!" A pause "And yes, I'd be more than happy to give you a tour. What about tomorrow, after Mr Thomasson's class?"

His face lightened up even more. "That would be great. Thank you, Jean!" He let her hand go, but she barely noticed, transfixed by his joyous expression, finding herself responding to it with a grin of her own.

"There's no need to thank…."

"Jean?"

Both turned to see Scott running towards them, his expression unreadable behind his glasses.

"Jean" he repeated once he had caught up with her "we need to go, we have a….." he stopped, seeming to finally notice the presence of Ryu at her side.

"Ah, this is Ryu, a foreign exchange student, who've just arrived from Hong Kong and who's gonna be in some of my classes. Ryu, this is Scott. He studies here too."

"I'm her boyfriend" Scott added guardedly

But Ryu didn't seem to notice the almost hostile vibes Scott was sending his way, as he kept smiling and extended his hand again. "Nice to meet you Scott. Woaw, I'd never thought I'd get to know two people like you guys in my first day."

After a slight hesitation, Scott shook his hand in turn, not uttering another word. Then for a few seconds, an uncomfortable silence reigned, before Ryu cleared his throat

"Well, I've got to go. Scott, I'm looking forward to meet you again. Jean, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then. Bye!"

" Bye!" Jean wavered her hand until he disappeared from their sight. She then looked up at Scott, already prepared to lecture him about his hostile behaviour, but he beat her to it, urgency now clear in his tone a gestures. He grabbed her hand and walked fast towards their cars, dragging her behind while explaining the reasons of the rush.

"Jean, we've got to go. There is a young mutant who needs help. It looks like he can't control his powers anymore –something to do with gravity I think- and he's causing havoc in the tour nearby the hospital. There's no time to lose: they've already called in the army! Kurt is on his way. You get Rogue, she's at the newly opened art gallery!"

"Wait, what about…." But Scott had already jumped in his convertible and was now starting it.

"Just do it Jean, there is no time!"

At first she just stood their, watching him leave the parking lot, before opening the front door of her own car. It seemed pretty urgent, so she tried to squelch all the questions that assailed her. Like how they were gonna be the only four to face a scared mutant with what seemed like a formidable power? Why hadn't the Professor contact her as well with the situation at hand? What was Rogue doing at the art gallery when she was grounded?

But more than everything, she tried not to let her mind drift towards deep pools of dark, and the mystery that was in them.

* * *

As usual, read&review, thanks!


	9. chapter 7

Riiiight, now it's turning downright paranormal. It was becoming quite the long chap, so I decided to split it in two. I know, I'm evil!!!!!!! To make it up to you, I'm gonna publish the next part pretty soon, as it is written, so just the time to edit, and it will be up, I swear 'g'!

Now on to the fic!

* * *

Rogue was absently looking at the painting in front of her. 

She had promised earlier that day to respect her grounding, and she'd ever considered breaking her promises, those made to Logan even less. But Remy had been 'very' persuasive, and now there she was, pondering on the situation at hand and how she got there in the first place.

She had been walking out of the school premises when she spotted him, his lean form nonchalant against a tree, playing with his ever-present card game now missing the Queen of Heart. Not thinking, she approached him; his eyes left the cards and he welcomed her with a big smile.

"You are exactly the person I was looking for."

She stopped some five feet away from him, her arms crossed in front of her chest, defiance clearly written all over her.

"Excuse me, but I just can't seem to share your enthusiasm at that bit of news."

If that wasn't the answer he had been waiting for, he didn't let it on.

"I've just seen the advertisement for the opening of this exposition. They have this beautiful collection of paintings and statues from Copenhagen's Ny Carlsberg museum...."

Her eyes narrowed, and there was a definitely pissed off edge to her voice.

"What, you need a hand to steal something? Wait, maybe you want me to absorb someone from security." She was agitated now, pointing a finger accusingly at him.

"Now, what's the meaning of this, chère? Remy was just wandering if you wanted to go see it as well, nothing else. There is no need for you to get angry, is there?"

"You 'just want' to go see it?" He nodded in agreement. "With me." He made a step towards her. She didn't budge. She was still pissed off, but she was also slightly amused. And flattered. And sad. But she tried to keep those last two inside.

"Is there a problem with your hearing?" This time she was sure he had not been expecting 'that', because he stopped right were he stand. She was just out of arm's reach. She continued "Because I thought Logan had mentioned loud enough for the whole county –at least- to hear that I was not to leave the Mansion if not for school."

"He didn't say that."

"Excuse me…?"

"He said 'if not for educational reasons'. And don't-" he hurriedly added, as she was about to say something herself "say it's not the case."

She dropped her head, her spunk lost all of a sudden "I'm not sure…" Then, as she raised her face once again, in a voice that sounded pitiful to her own ears: "I made a promise. I can't break it. I just can't."

"Chère, trust tis thief. He, of all people, would never stop you from seeing art. He….knows you, your interest for art, and I don't think he would stop you from doing something of cultural value." He added "He 'is' your teacher after all: any experience that should increase your knowledge of the things of this world should be fine by him." There was some mirth in his eyes and his voice as he said those last words, something she knew would stick with her for a long time, although she didn't understand why.

But he didn't let her much time to think about it: his gloved hand was only inches from actually touching her.

"Come on, chère, it's opening in 20 minutes, just the time to get there with the next bus."

She hesitated. But she already knew she was going to accept. Because this was the Ny Carlsberg's collection, one of the most beautiful of Europe. She had spent hours admiring some of their ancient statues on the net, and since she had no idea if she'd ever go to Copenhagen, this was a unique opportunity.

Because now that she was considering it seriously, she was pretty sure Logan wouldn't mind, and that she wouldn't have to lie if he'd ever asked her; she wouldn't have to disappoint him. Not that she necessarily followed rules, her late night escape only the last example on a very long list. But she had a lot of respect for all the adults at the Mansion, and with time, she had come to cherish Logan's seemingly unconditional trust in her a great deal.

And also because it was Remy who was asking her, of all people. Remy, who could have spent his time with whatever woman he'd set his views on, and there were plenty of beautiful girls ready to fall for his charms in the Mansion, to which you could easily add a few hundreds in the Westchester area. Why he would prefer to pursue her was letting her perplex, but his insistence had also struck a chord somewhere in the most feminine part of her soul, a part she had become pretty good at simply ignoring since her mutation had manifested and that anything related to romance had, from that moment, gone right through the window for her.

He was the only other guy –outside Kurt and Logan who, for obvious reasons, didn't count- who had ever looked at her as a distinct, feminine entity, and not just as one of the Xmen. She had tried to avoid him so far, but now, she realized she was actually craving for more of this attention, although she had no idea where this was leading her.

So she took his proffered hand.

And now here she was in the gallery, in front of one of the ballerina's statue by Degas.

Remy, who she had learned, was utterly fascinated by Ancient Greece's art, had just left her for the upper floor where that part of the collection was exposed, letting her to seat alone on one of the luxurious velvet-covered bench in the middle of room 12A, facing the ballerina, disturbed only by the occasional hushed comment made by some other visitor.

Suddenly, rushed feet could be heard in the distance, seemingly closing on her; she didn't look in that direction though. She could almost taste that an 'urgent intervention' was up in the air, but she wanted to enjoy this magnificent piece of art close up for as long as she could. So she stayed still as everyone turned towards the young woman now dashing in the room, until a well-manicured hand lightly settled on her shoulder.

Jean's.

"Rogue? Come on, there's a situation, not far away from here."

She spared a short glare at the hand; Jean hastily withdrew it, as if the younger girl's eyes had burnt through. As she slowly roused, Rogue sighed.

Jean had always behaved 'cautiously' around her, but lately, she had become downright awkward. It couldn't be because of Scott: Jean and he were clearly together now, and Rogue had never given any sign that she hadn't nursed her crush on him by now, and as a telepath, Jean shouldn't doubt it. Maybe it was her power, maybe it was everything that had happened lately, she didn't know. But awkward she was, and increasingly so, especially over the course of the past week or so. The exact opposite of Remy.

Speaking of which…

"Jean, wait! I'm with Remy here, I know where he is. We could get him before…"

Jean, who was already heading for the exit, hesitantly turned her head.

"I know, but the Professor asked for only four of us. Kurt and Scott must already be there."

"Let me at least tell him…"

"Now!" And she started to run again, not waiting for a reply. Rogue was boiling inside. She hated it. Nobody seemed quite ready to trust Remy, who had been nothing but loyal to them. Besides, with now three telepaths in the house, it seemed that only logical that they would have been able to pick up any bad vibe from him.

She followed Jean outside and to her car.

They were on their way, when it became also appeared clear that she hadn't been anymore trusting than anybody else. In fact, because he had tried so hard to be closer to her than to anybody else, she had probably been the one who rejected him the most forcefully. Ashamed of that realization, as they stepped out of the jeep to discover that there military forces were already surrounding the building, she decided to at least give him a chance to prove himself.

He would either take it, or not.

* * *

They had thought that it may almost come down to a fight to break through the army to get to the top, where they heard the 'mutant' was. But in fact, they were given almost immediately leave to get up there as soon as they heard the name of Professor Xavier. Rogue couldn't help but notice that the guy who appeared to be the commanding officer looked almost relieved to let them take it over from there. 

The view that expected Rogue and Jean, once they arrived there, looked every bit like a sci-fi novel adaptation for the big screen. A very good adaptation, almost too good to be believed.

About two dozens soldiers, forming a line just in front of the exit were aiming their guns at what was the most surreal thing Rogue had ever seen.

It was like a gigantic black orb, so dense that you could see nothing through it. The late afternoon's light seemed almost absorbed by it. Yet in its center could clearly be distinguished the translucent figure of a young boy in strange clothes, a few blond strands in contrast with the dark blue hood covering his head. He was dangling in the air, his feet a good five inches above the floor. His eyes were closed, as if he was concentrating in conjuring the black mass surrounding him. It must have been a good protection, for several bodies of soldiers were lying, unconscious, around him.

Seeing where the two young women's eyes were watching, one of the men explained: "That's what happened when the first of us tried to approach him: they were either rejected forcefully, or they disappeared inside this thing."

Rogue let those words sink in, before breaking through the soldiers' line and making a few steps towards the tangible expression of void before her, slowly peeling off one of her gloves. She didn't feel the fear the men around her reeked of so much. She was in mission mode now, a time when she was almost devoid of feelings. That's something, absorbing Magneto and Mystique had taught her, that allowed for more quickly analyzing the situation, which could save many lives given the situation.

"Jean? Just keep a close eye on this thing, would you?"

"What are you trying to do?" asked the soldier.

"Talk to him. Try to open communication. Done that already?"

The lack of answer told her all that she needed to know. She sighed.

"I might've known." she spat cynically.

She called out a few times, without any answer, but as she came closer, the mass seemed to contract and lose some of its density, revealing a couple more of unanimated bodies.

She extended her hand, running on instinct and adrenaline now. She had the impression the mass was losing its density while the body in its middle was becoming more solid with every step.

For two excruciatingly slow minutes, she kept making one step at the time. The tension was palpable to every being there. Her now gloveless hand was extended, her delicate pale fingers seeking contact.

A few more inches, just a couple more steps, and she'd be there.

And this is when all hell broke loose.

* * *

As usual, please r&r, thanks. That's what keeps me alive ;-) 


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